May 6, 2022 4 min read

Weekly Combine Newsletter: F1 returns to Miami beating legal hurdles on the way

Formula 1 will return to Miami this weekend for the first race in Florida since 1959 after overcoming several legal challenges, obstacles and pandemic issues that could have prevented the event at Hard Rock Stadium from racing ahead.

As reported last year, homeowner associations and locals, who described themselves as Black residents of Miami Gardens living in neighbouring areas surrounding the Hard Rock Stadium. Sought to pursue a challenge to the race, under federal equal protections and local noise and nuisance laws, before the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

The defendants, including the Miami Dolphins, the NFL team who are the primary tenants of Hard Rock Stadium, and Miami-Dade County, said the residents lacked standing to pursue their claim. The residents’ framed their case based on what they describe as Miami-Dade county's long "history of systemic racism".

Whilst the Court expressed sympathy with "the Plaintiff's deep frustration with having an event of this magnitude, and all its attendant negative impacts on their quality of life", upheld the defendant's motion to dismiss as there was no evidence that there motives of racial discrimination in deciding to hold the event at that location.

Previously state planning legislation had thwarted Miami's attempts to have the race return to their city. The race was originally planned for Miami's waterfront precinct; however, a cease and desist order resulting from complaints from residents in that area meant a delay to when the race would enter the F1 calendar. Organisers instead looked to the Miami Gardens/Hard Rock Stadium precinct however, that was met with opposition from the local council- and later residents as per the above case- concerned about noise pollution and traffic congestion.

Despite the opposition, the race organisers and their legal team managed to navigate the protests, required planning approvals, overcome further delays associated with the pandemic and finally sign a contract with Hard Rock Stadium in April 2021 that will see the race held in Miami over the next 10-years, commencing this weekend.

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